Fantastic Mr Fox Back in Action
by LaGiralda
Summary: Mr. Fox and his friends were expecting a quiet time, but they were totally wrong. A lot of problems are coming up, and when facing them, Mr. Fox will have to do it with the last one he expected to be helpful ...
1. Chapter 1: A surprising encounter

"You are supposed to be dead!" said Mr Fox.

Rat twinkled up to him, and kept on spitting water.

"Well, as you can see, I am not", he replied insinuatingly, and coughed.

"I definitely see," Mr Fox said and looked at the picture of misery at his feet, thinking for a moment. "Then let's go."

"You're funny," said Rat, but his effort to laugh was won by another heavy cough. "I, for my share, am not goin' anywhere. For, if you did not know, I am livin' here." He bore down another cough and tried not to shiver.

Mr Fox looked down at him.

"If you pretend to stay here, you're clearly funnier than I am. You're soaking wet, it's cold as hell and this ... this _something _might come back any moment. And you're telling me you will stay here?"

Rat coughed. "Where else should I go?"

"You'll come with me, for this time," said Mr Fox. "Now get up."

Rat looked at him, incredulously, and tried to get to his feet, but fell down again immediately.

Mr Fox sighed. "Today, thinks clearly don't work out as planned," he said, bent down, loaded the wet, shivering and coughing Rat over his shoulder and left the canalisation.

Felicity Fox raised her eyebrows.

"You're not serious about this," she said and pointed to Rat, whom her husband had let down to the ground.

"I am perfectly serious about this," Mr. Fox replied.

She crossed her arms. "Honey, this dirty rat is definitely not going to enter my home, and you better kick it back to where you found it, for if not I will do it myself."

"Darling, calm down," said Mr. Fox. "He just saved my life."

"He did _what_?"

"I'll be telling you inside."

"Thanks God the boys are on their school trip," Felicity sighed.

A few minutes later, they had changed Rat's soaking clothes for a pyjama of Mr Fox, and prepared him a provisional bed in the kitchen, where Rat lay wrapped into a blanket and stared onto the ceiling without saying a word. He was still shivering, but obviously trying to repress it.

Mr Fox sat down by his side and handed him over a cup of hot soup. Rat sat up carefully to receive it, unable to hide how good the warmth in his hands felt.

"Why did you come back?" he asked while sipping a first gulp of hot soup.

"Why, I heard you call my name," said Mr Fox.

"However," said Rat. "I did not expect you to come back."

"Actually, I didn't expect _you _to do what you did, either."

Rat shrugged, and emptied his cup. "I guess that was kind of ... Let us put it like that: Nasty things were happening to your boys, and I was involved. And there was also a time when we both could stand each other better than now. I don't forget things like these. So I might be a rotter, and I am not plannin' to be anything else ever, but that doesn't mean I don't have a sense of honour, if you want to put it like this."

"Alright then," said Mr Fox. "It's the same with me. I like being a thief, and I clearly don't like rats, and less if they are like you, but nevertheless, right now I'm in debt with you. So, stay here for this night, because given your condition, anything else would kill you. And then, tomorrow morning get out here, and don't dare to come back. I shall have done enough for you with this."

"You certainly have," said Rat, and wrapped himself tighter into his blanket. "Good night." And he coughed.

"It's hard to believe," said Felicity Fox, when Mr Fox had told her about what had happened.

"It is," he agreed. "But I hope now you see that I couldn't leave him there like this."

"Nevertheless, it might have been better for all of us if that creature simply died."

"Don't say that, honey. He's a rotter, and has no education, but you remember how he defended the cider; he's definitely not a coward. He's rather able to risk his life for what he believes to be worth it. Today, he believed that I was worth it, and I wouldn't be here to tell you this if it wasn't for him. He's not a coward." After a while, he added: "He's never been one."

"You're fantastically right, as always," sighed Felicity.

"Now let's sleep. Tomorrow Rat will be gone, and we'll probably never see him

again." Mr Fox touched Felicity's belly and smiled. "This little guy hopefully will never get to know Rat."

He was wrong, and some hours later he was to know it.


	2. Chapter 2: Fever

**2. Fever**

It was Felicity herself who found Rat lying on the floor, just two steps from the door, shivering and sweating. When she bent over him, she found he was burning with fever, and he opened his red eyes but obviously didn't recognise her.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me now," he mumbled, and squirmed with a new attack of cough.

Felicity went back to the bedroom, where Mr Fox was trying to hide in his pillow from the sunbeams that entered through the window.

"Wake up, work for you," she said and pulled away the blanket.

"Hm?"

"Rat is still there, and he's definitely not fine."

Mr Fox blinked, then he got up.

"What do you mean: he's not fine? And still there? I will show that lousy Rat how to ..."

He stepped out of the bedroom, and stopped.

"Oh my God," he said.

"That's what I thought," said Felicity. "And he's not playing, dear. He's got fever, and it's quite high."

Mr Fox knelt down beside Rat, and touched his forehead.

"No way, we've got to call the doctor," he said.

"Why did I know that you would come up with that idea?" Felicity answered. "Alright then. Take him back to bed. I'll see about the doctor."

Dr Beaver arrived twenty minutes later, and he was clearly stunned when he saw who his patient was.

"Incredible. But I thought that Rat died when ..."

"Yes, that's what we thought, too. I met him in the sewerage yesterday, when I entered down by the hillside to escape from the farmers, and he actually saved my life when a big ... a big animal attacked me."

"Remarkable," said Dr. Beaver, and bent over Rat. He opened him the eyes, checked his respiration and some other things. When he turned around to Mr Fox and his wife, he looked worried.

"I'm not sure what exactly he's got, but if you found him down in the canalisation, it might be that the dampness and coldness down there made him ill. It's not easy to live there if you are used to a warm and dry cider cellar. We don't know what he's been eating, either; and the winter is cold."

"So, you're telling us he caught a flu," Mr Fox suggested.

"No, I'm telling you that he is seriously ill. The best thing would be if I took him to the hospital. Otherwise, he might not survive this."

"The hospital?" said Mr Fox.

The animals' hospital was hardly known, for only really hard cases were brought there, and the place had the fame that nobody who went there came back alive.

"Well, I guess you're thinking about these old stories," replied Dr Beaver. "It's not that bad, and medical attention has improved." He lowered his voice. "Also, you will get rid of that ..."

"The hospital," said somebody, and this time, it was Rat himself. He had opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "You might as well leave me where you met me yesterday, Fox."

"Don't be ridiculous, Rat. They will help you at the hospital," said Dr Beaver.

Rat laughed, and burst into coughing.

_"_That's what _you _say. But I can tell that there are enough animals, be it doctors or patients, who will be ready to kill me. I'm not afraid. But I prefer to die alone, and be it in the sewerage, than be killed by some miserable ..." A new attack of coughing interrupted him, and this time, it was so strong that he hardly could get back to breathing.

"He's right," said Mr Fox. "I guess there's more than one animal ready to kill him, just because he is a rat."

"You see," added Rat. "If you give me a hand, I can make it to where we met. Leave me there. I prefer this to hospital. I really do."

"You seem to be keen to die," said Dr Beaver disdainfully.

This time, Rat looked at him.

"No," he said, something wet glaring in his red eyes. "I am actually not. But there's no way of avoiding it, and therefore I want to die in a way I prefer, alone, and not murdered. Alone, you see?"

He sniffed.

Dr Beaver looked at the foxes, and they looked at Dr Beaver.

"Doctor, please allow us a minute," said Felicity, and pulled her husband back into the bedroom.

"Now," said Mr Fox. "What are you going to tell me?"

"I feel pity for him," said Felicity. "Don't you?"

"I thought you would want me to kick him out and let him die wherever he wants to."

"I'm not that hard. Last but not least, I'm a mother. See, if we send him to the hospital, it's probably that what he expects to happen will happen, and I know we will feel horribly guilty."

"And we won't if I kick him out into canalisation?"

"We aren't going to do this, honey. There's only one place where Rat is safe, and you know where; right here."

Mr Fox looked at her.

"You're sweet, Felicity. Kind of reminds me why I married you."

They smiled.

"So you're giving me permission to keep him here until he's fine," said Mr Fox.

"I'm actually asking you to do so. It's the only we have to save his life, just as he saved yours. And, by the way, he seems horribly lonely to me."

"I guess he is," said Mr Fox. "Well, then."

They went back into the kitchen, where Dr Beaver was obviously impatient.

"Doctor, we really appreciate your idea of the hospital, but I think we all know that it's not a good idea in case of this patient. I'm convinced that you and your colleagues would do whatever they can, but nevertheless, the risk that somebody disliking rats causes him a rather disagreeable death is quite big."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Dr Beaver. "To leave him where he asks you to leave him, and let him die?"

"No," Mr Fox answered. "We're going to look after him. He will stay here."

A surprised coughing came from the bad where Rat lay, and Dr Beaver's face was like the silent reflect of that coughing.

"I'm not sure whether I understand you?" he said.

"You understand very well," said Mr Fox. "He's going to stay here because that is where he is safe. You will tell us how to attend him, and what medicine is necessary. And never mind, I'll pay all of it. Don't look at me in this puzzled way; it's the best solution for all of us."

Dr Beaver hesitated, but felt that Mr Fox and Felicity had taken their decision, and that there was no way to change it. So he sat down with Felicity to write down a long list of instructions and medicines, while Rat looked at Mr Fox from red feverish eyes.

"There's no reason for you to do this," he said faintly. "This is crazy."

"Maybe it is," Mr Fox replied. "I like doing crazy things. I've always done them. And I can tell you don't want to die."

Rat shook his head.

"See?" said Mr Fox. "So you aren't going to die, as true as I'm the fantastic Mr Fox."

Things turned out to be more complicated than Mr Fox and his wife had imagined. Although Dr Beaver had left them a large collection of healing essences that would cool down Rat's fever, cough, and help him get over the infection he had, his condition did not improve. When he shook his head to signalise Mr Fox that he really didn't want to die yet, that was the first sign of clear conscience for the next fourty-eight hours. While Mr Fox had imagined that they would be fine with serving Rat a hot tea and preparing a compress now and then, caring for Rat became actually a full-time-job, up to a point where Mr Fox hardly left the sick's side.

"I'm really surprised by your dedication," commented Felicity.

"So am I," said Mr Fox. "But I promised he wouldn't die, and I'm actually used to keeping my promises. And there's something else. The _something _that attacked me ... I'm not sure but I think Rat might know more about it. I never saw something like that before. And I'm quite worried it might come back. We better do something about it on time, but only _he _has the information we need; or at least, I hope so."

"You should have asked him while he was conscious," said Felicity Fox.

"Well. I didn't."

"And now you seem to be a nurse rather than a fox," she jeered.

"I'm pretty sure it's the first time in his life someone's caring for him. By the way, how's our little friend in there?"

Felicity smiled while touching her belly.

"He'll be fine, or she, we'll see," she said. "Shouldn' 't we go to sleep?"

"Go ahead. I'll stay here just some more minutes, and take his temperature. He's tough. I think that most other animals already would have died with that kind of fever."

"Don't stay too long, darling."

Mr. Fox was about to leave and make his way to the bedroom as well, when Rat squirmed, and started to throw himself around in the bed.

"Why, why, calm down," Mr. Fox said, uncertain whether Rat could hear him. "Everything's going to be fine."

"I am leaving," Rat wept, nothing more, but Mr. Fox saw him squirm and shiver with obvious pain. He sighed and longed out.

"Okay. Can you feel this? It's my hand. It means that wherever you're going this night, I'm right here by your side. Don't let go, and make an effort. You got it?"

He felt Rat clinging to his hand like a child, but he got no answer. He gave another sigh, watching the bedroom door, then watching Rat's shadow in front of him, and that's where he stayed sitting for the rest of the night.

"You're crazy," said Felicity Fox, kindly touching her husband's shoulder. "Foxy? Do you hear me?"

Mr. Fox jumped up without opening his eyes, turned around and then seemed quite surprise to be where he was.

"What's going on?"

"What's going on? You passed the entire night sitting here. You were holding his hand. What happened? Is he …?" Felicity interrupted herself and pointed to Rat, lying there calmly.

"He's still breathing, look," Mr. Fox said. "Seems as if he's going to recover soon. This night was the worst."

"Well, I hope so," she answered. "Because you know that this afternoon the boys are coming back, and I actually didn't plan that they would see Rat here. Especially Ash will be shocked."

"I guess they'll see him," Mr. Fox said, yawning. "No way. But he's breathing calmly now, and sleeping deeply, I believe that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow he will be fine enough to leave. Don't worry, darling."

"I won't, then," she said. "But you go to bed a few hours. Next time Ash catches a flu I want to see you by his bed like this, my dear fox."


	3. Chapter 3: Rat's Story

**3****. Rat's Story **

In fact, Mrs. Fox found that Rat's fever had gone down, but he slept without waking until late in the afternoon, and then, the boys burst in.

"Mum, Dad, we're back, and guess what … Oh my God!" Ash was the first to discover Rat. With the small fox's scream, Rat slowly opened his red eyes and stared at him.

"What does this mean?" Kristofferson stumbled.

"Calm down, boys," said Felicity, coming out of the common bedroom. "Your father, and uncle, is going to explain everything."

"He can't be here!" cried Ash, pointing to Rat. "That's just not true!"

"Oh, never mind," sat Rat, trying to sit up. "I'm leavin' in this very moment if you want me to."

Ash blinked at him with hate. "I definitely want you to!"

It was now that Mr. Fox entered the kitchen.

"Ash," he said softly, "wait a minute. There are things I have to tell you. Rat, nice to see you are awake. Feeling better?"

Rat seemed quite uncertain how to answer.

"Well, yes," he finally said. "Although it is really no pleasure to know that I have been saved by your family. As I said, I'll be leavin' right now."

"You won't, because there are some questions I want to ask you," Mr. Fox replied. "And that's why you're staying here for dinner."

Ash stood with his arms on his hips.

"Is anybody going to tell me what the hell is going on here? Dad, don't you remember what this rat tried to do to me?"

"I perfectly do, son. Please sit down, and you too, Kristofferson."

"And why is he actually alive? Didn't you tell me he died after your fight?" Kristofferson wanted to know.

"That's a question I want to ask him myself," Mr. Fox said.

Rat laughed. Now it already came out without a cough.

"Yes, I suppose I was to die that very day," he said. "I remember I lost consciousness."

"You were obviously dead," Mr. Fox said. "And we let you float away."

"I guess you did. But the truth is that at one moment, I don't know how, I woke up, and found myself at the end of a drain, lying on a wet cold stone. I can tell I felt miserable, and I definitely was closer to death than to life. That electric fence was close to kill me, and you, Fox, did your part as well, if I may say so."

"So you woke up, and what did you do?" Ash asked, apparently captured by Rat's tale.

"I tried to get out of the water, and towed myself to a corner. I was sure I would die there, but I turned out to be in a part of the canalisation very close to the surface. And just next to where I lay, there was an opening where they put in garbage. Not only ordinary garbage, but also the leftovers of some Chinese restaurant nearby … I crawled towards the garbage, and made myself comfortable with some old newspapers, who covered me up. And I ate the rice and chicken they were throwing down there. I have no idea of how many time it took, but I slowly recovered, although I still felt weak. When I felt better, I left canalisation, and found myself in the city. It is a place you can not imagine. It is loud, dirty, and extremely fascinating. I found that food supply for a rat was good in the city, but life was dangerous; and so I got back into the canalisation."

"And you went on eating garbage," Kristofferson said, disdainfully.

"I had no choice, either. You will believe me that I obviously missed my cider cellar. It was so much more comfortable. On the other hand, I discovered that living without cider was good for me; I trained my skills and reactions I had lost when hanging around in Bean's cellar. Still, I did not feel completely comfortable down there. And one day I discovered I was not alone."

"I guess it's getting interesting now," Mr. Fox commented.

"It actually is," Rat said. "Because it came the day when I first met _him._ I heard him approach, and hid behind the garbage, but I watched."

The small foxes were now paying absolute attention, and Mr. Fox leant forward.

"I had never seen anything like this before," Rat went on. "Strange enough, he has some traits that seem those of a rat, but much longer teeth, and he is much bigger than me … as you may have noticed, Fox."

"You also saw that animal, Dad?" Ash asked surprised.

"That's what we'll come to immediately," Mr. Fox said. "Yes, I saw it. And indeed, it's much bigger than a rat. It's also bigger than me. Why are you so sure it's a 'he', Rat?"

"I heard his voice. He is not a fellow of talking very much. But when he searched in the garbage, he went on mumbling, and I was to guess that his name is obviously Fang; for that he repeated once and again. Until he saw me."

"He saw you!" shrieked Kristofferson, clearly excited with the story. "What did you do?"

"I was petrified. He has got big, yellow eyes, and he kept watching me. Then he said, kind of grumbling, 'This is my place. Fang's place.'" Rat moved his paws while he spoke, and the small foxes jerked. "He spoke slowly. I actually had enough time to run away then. But I was unable to move. Until he took the first step towards me. Then I rushed away, just past him, into the darkness; and I can tell that with a gallon of cider inside me, I would not have been able to react that quickly. I felt him snap after me, but he failed. I kept running, escaping into canals I had never entered before, until I was sure he had lost my tracks, and I stopped. But by then, my life in the canalisation was not as before. I had to be careful. I learnt how to hear him, how to scent him, long before he was close. I was much quicker than him, and that was my luck. But I knew he was following me. He would not allow anybody else down there."

"Just as you wouldn't allow anybody else in your cider cellar," Mr. Fox commented.

Rat shrugged, but Ash interrupted.

"But Dad, if that was far away … How did you happen to see that Fang?"

"That's what I'm asking me," Mr. Fox said. "How did he get here?"

"Oh, it might be my fault, and it might not," Rat replied. "I slowly moved through the canalisation, trying to get away from him. I was not sure where to stay. And my instinct slowly led me back to here. I only guessed it when I found some rests of chicken, geese and apple; then it was clear I was near the three farms. And this is where you come in, Fox, and I pleasantly leave this part of the story to you."

The boys looked at Mr. Fox.

"Alright, then," he said. "It's easy. That day, I went once again to get us some chickens, but while I was there, somebody opened the door; some man of Boggis' came in with some dogs, and all I could do was escape through the first opening I found, which was not our tunnel. Soon enough, I found myself in the canalisation and thought it was not the worst place to escape; the dogs could not follow me there, and I knew there was an exit by the hillside, from where I could get back home relatively safe. I was nearly there, when this … Fang emerged in front of me."

"What did you do?" Kristofferson asked.

"I checked the possible ways of escape. There weren't any. Fang was in front of me, between me and the exit, but also between me and the tunnel I had come from; behind me, there was but solid hard stone wall. I bared my teeth, but he wasn't impressed at all. I tried to talk to him, but he didn't answer. And when he approached, I saw the foam between his teeth, and guessed he might be rabied, and for a moment I actually thought I was done."

The boys were about to go wild with excitement. They hadn't expected a story like this at their homecoming.

"Then, suddenly, I heard a voice call from the darkness, defying Fang; I was surprised, and the voice seemed familiar to me, but I wasn't sure. Then I felt that something was thrown on Fang …"

"A ball of mug I found right there," Rat specified. "It was enough to attract his attention. He turned around, and saw me coming out of the other tunnel."

"That's when I saw him, too," Mr. Fox went on. "And I can tell you I nearly died of bewilderment. For Rat was the last one I expected to see, and less alive. Fang took two or three steps toward him, and I stayed where I was. Until I heard Rat say: 'Run, Fox, I'll see for this one.' So I ran."

"Oh my God," shrieked Ash. "What happened then?"

"Fang started to persecute Rat, although I didn't see any details," Mr. Fox said.

"Well, I actually planned just to rush away, as I had always done, and this time, I wanted to trap Fang; so I headed for a sewer which is kind of a river, the water passes there like a furious stream, and there I waited for Fang. When he jumped at me, I jumped, too; I could jump well enough to make it to the other side. But in the air, this beast got me with his paw, and I fell into the water."

"That's when I came back, for I heard him yell, and he actually cried: 'Fox!' When I got to the sewer in question, Fang was already about to disappear in another tunnel, torn away by the stream, and Rat was desperately trying to get out there, and not to be carried towards Fang's teeth, snapping and snarling. Seems I arrived just in time, and managed to grab him and get him out there when he was about to loose consciousness."

"That is what happened," said Rat. "Then you took me home, and the next thing I remember is that I felt like dying of heat, and Dr Beaver showed up to take me to the hospital."

"The animals' hospital!" Kristofferson exclaimed. "You must have been very ill then."

"He was, boys," Mr. Fox told them. "I've never seen such an ill rat before."

"But you didn't send him to the hospital," Ash said.

"The hospital isn't a safe place if you're a rat," Mr. Fox explained. "So your mother and I decided that he would stay here until he recovered. And now that you seem to be heading for recovery, my dear Rat, I want you to tell me every little detail you have noticed about this Fang. For whatever he is, he is highly dangerous, and I wouldn't be surprised if he came out of the canalisation and was a threat to everyone. And I guess we should do something about it."

"Sorry to interrupt you," said Mrs. Fox, "but dinner's ready. And I don't want anybody to talk about horrible creatures while eating, did everybody get it?"

"Positive, darling," said Mr. Fox.


	4. Chapter 4: Kylie Brings Some News

**4. Kylie Brings Some News **

They were actually managing not to talk about anything horrible while eating, although a strange silence lay over the table. Rat's presence simply didn't fit. He didn't say a word while eating, as if trying not to be there, and with a look into his red eyes one could tell he was the one feeling least comfortable. Then, there was Felicity Fox, eating without watching their visitor, her eyes fixed on her dish with an icy expression. The boys obviously didn't know where to look. Mr. Fox, at the beginning, tried to start a conversation, asking them about their school trip, but that conversation died after a few sentences, and they went on eating in silence.

Mrs. Fox was getting up to serve the dessert, when Kylie bumped in.

"It's incredible! It's horrible!" he cried, panning a newspaper. "It's absolutely … _Good lord, it's Rat_!"

"Thank you," Rat said calmly. "They might not have noticed."

Kylie stared at him, let the newspaper fall, and tried to hide behind Mr. Fox' armchair.

"No, no, no!" he wept. Mr. Fox shook his head.

"Kylie, get out there. Everything's ok."

"But he's Rat, and he's dead, and he's sitting at your table, and eating pudding!"

"It's actually _crème brûlée_," Rat informed him laconically.

"And eating crème … what?"

"Now stop that, both of you. As you can see, Kylie, Rat isn't dead at all, but you're right about he's sitting at my table …"

"And eating crème pudding," Kylie stammered, already resignated.

"As you can see. But what's that horrible, incredible thing you wanted to tell us?"

Kylie picked up his newspaper, and handed it to Mr. Fox.

"They're worried," he said. "And actually, it's about rats. It even might be him!"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Kylie, and you better change that. _Who _is worried about _what_?"

He took a look at the newspaper headings.

"Good lord," he said.

"That's what I say," Kylie answered. "It's about this tremendous, dangerous, ugly, horrible lab rat that escaped, and they're searching it everywhere, and don't know what illnesses it might transmit, and … It might as well be him!"

He pointed to Rat, shaking.

"I'm not a lab rat, just for your information," Rat said between two spoons of _crème brûlée. _"Although you might be right about 'tremendous' and 'dangerous.'"

"Watch that photo," Mr. Fox said, showing him the newspaper. "That is Fang."

"That is who?" Kylie repeated perplexed.

"We actually met him," Mr. Fox explained.

"We actually met him? I never did!"

"Now sit down, Kylie, and have a dish of _crème brûlée, _and I'll tell you everything that's going on."

"This is a bad day," Kylie said, close to crying. "This is a really bad day."

"It might get better when eating your dessert," Rat told him.

"This is just as evil as a thunderstorm!" Kylie sighed, while Felicity Fox appeared to serve him his dish of _crème brûlée, _and then disappeared with the boys into their room.

Some minutes later, Kylie was up to date, but that didn't really reconfort him. He kept looking at Rat as if he was watching a ghost, then looked back at the newspaper. Mr. Fox watched both of them, thoughtfully. He had read the article concerning Fang once and again, and so had Rat, and when Mr. Fox had finished his summary of what had happened, for a while only Kylie's confused weeping could be heard.

"So, this mysterious big lab rat has been seen here, outside the canalisation," Mr. Fox said finally.

"He's enormous," Kylie said.

"You've seen him?" Rat asked.

"No," admitted Kylie, "but in the article it says he's enormous, and so did you, and Mr. Fox."

"I guess there's no reason to worry," Rat said. "If he showed up here, he will leave again. If he won't leave on his own, Boggis, Bunce, or Bean, will have him killed in an instance. What is there to be worried about?"

"I wouldn't be that sure," Mr. Fox said. "After all, _we _did escape from Boggis, Bunce and Bean, and I don't suppose Fang is planning to steal cider and chickens. It's probable they don't even notice he's around. And if he finds food somewhere else, such as garbage … or school kids …"

"This is awful!" Kylie complained.

"Exactly. And it is why we've got to do something about it. I don't want this freaky beast to touch a single member of my family. I will do something."

"Oh, you're gonna do something." Rat laughed sneeringly. "Very well. Now let me tell you, my dear Fox, there's no doubt that you're really smart, and that you can dig very well, and even have a good-loking wife, but this time it's not about digging. What do you possibly expect to do about this creature? You've seen once that you can't take him. Tell me your big, witty plan, I'm really excited."

"I see, this is Rat as we know him," Mr. Fox commented. "Now let me tell _you, _my _very _dear Rat, my big and witty plan. It is very simple. We defeated the farmers because we fought all together. And that is what we're going to do again. Kylie, we must have all the neighborhood join in the big hall, and talk about our strategy. And as for you, Rat, you'll be with us, whether you want it or not."

"Do you seriously believe that anybody's goin' to accept me?" Rat said. "And I wouldn't say you actually defeated anyone. You just stayed alive."

"However," Mr. Fox replied. "You're in. Because you know that Fang better than we all do. And then again, you're both rats."

For a very short moment, Rat bared his teeth, and Mr. Fox rose his arms in a conciliatory gesture.

"Well, not that I'm comparing you to him, but you might understand better than us his way of thinking and behaving."

"Don't think I do!" Rat said defiantly. "He's not behavin' like a rat. He's more like a predator. And if he's a lab rat, he must have been highly alterated by technology, medicine, whatever."

"However, you managed to escape him several times. And you faced him once. Why wouldn't you face him again? And this time, you won't be on your own."

Rat looked at him, distrustfully.

"That's what you say now. And what if you and your fine friends let me down in the last moment? After all, I'd just be another dead rat, wouldn't I?"

"That's exactly what _you_ said the other day," Kylie exclaimed, turning to Mr. Fox, who sighed.

"One more time, Kylie: Thank you for your subtle and sensitive way to support me in discussions."

Kylie smiled. "You're welcome!"

Mr. Fox turned back to Rat.

"In the end, I don't see your problem about this. You aren't afraid of this Fang, are you?"

"It's not that I'm afraid," Rat hissed. "It's just that I'm no team worker. And I don't fit into your nice and workin' team of neighbors, friends and whatsoever, Fox. I do things on my own. I always did. And better it was."

"Yeah, but things change," Mr. Fox replied. "Look at yourself. Where did you get on your own? First into drinking. Then into sewerage. I guess things could turn out in a much better way for you, couldn't they?"

"_You _made me get into sewerage. If not for you, I'd still be there, sipping my cider, peacefully."

"Yes. But as you have noticed yourself, now that you're got away from cider, your reactions are much better. And I wouldn't have brought you into sewerage if I had known you were alive. So, be a little more cooperative, and do consider this: If we don't defeat Fang, where will you go? Back into sewerage? I can tell you don't want to. You're a rotten and miserable rat, but you aren't a sewer rat, and you've seen for yourself how that place nearly killed you. So, where then? Back to Bean's cider cellar? I don't think so, either. Because you already left that behind."

"What's your point, Fox?"

"My point is that for the moment, your only option is to stay with us, and help us fight Fang. He's a danger to everybody, and also to you. You can't trap him alone, and neither can we. But we might if we join forces. And afterwards, we'll see how to handle your case."

"My case?" Rat said. "You're jokin'? There's no such 'my case'. And nobody's goin' to handle it. You're right, I don't want to go back _there. _But I'll see for myself where to go instead." He paused and stared defiantly at Mr. Fox, who stared back. Kylie ducked his head. Finally, Rad said: "However, I'm in, just as you say. But don't expect me to be a team worker. I never was."

"We'll see that," Mr. Fox replied. "Just consider that if you're with us, and honestly, we'll be with you. And nobody is going to let you down."

"As true as you are the fantastic Mr. Fox?" Rat said ironically.

"As true as I am the fantastic Mr. Fox," Mr. Fox reinforced.


	5. Chapter 5: Emergency Session

The news had spread fast, and when Kylie started his tour to get together all the neighborhood, he found that most of them were already heading to the big hall. Actually, the Fox family and Rat were the last to arrive, and the entire hall fell silent when Rat entered.

"I'm kind of gettin' used to that silence," Rat said drily. "Hello everybody. First of all, let me clarify one thing, for those who still doubt it: I'm not dead."

"Foxy, what's going on?" said Badger.

And Mr. Fox told for the third time this day what had happened to him and Rat in the sewerage. When he had finished, silence persisted.

Finally, Badger spoke again.

"So if I got it correctly, then it's Rat who lead this so-called Fang here."

"That's what I understood," said Rabbit. "He's to blame."

"He can't stay here," said Dr Beaver.

"It's all his fault," hissed Weasel.

"Please wait a minute," said Mr. Fox. "It's quite possible that Fang followed Rat when Rat got back here, but this is not a question of blaming anybody. Fang might have shown up here earlier or later, anyway. What we've got to do now is to see how we can fight him. My dear friends, this is about keeping safe our children."

"I don't see your point, Mr. Fox," said Rabbit. "Is this Fang supposed to come into our tunnels and holes? Isn't it a sewer rat … like him?"

"Careful," said Rat. "I'm a cider cellar rat by definition. A guard rat. Entirely different."

"All rats are the same," said Rabbit. "Lousy and miserable and rotten."

"You wouldn't even want to be right with this," Rat replied calmly. "Because in this case I wouldn't hesitate to show you _how _rotten I am."

"Oh, feel free to show me," Rabbit cried and got up. "Or are you possibly afraid?"

Rat looked down at Rabbit, whose ears' tops hardly reached his breast's height.

"Afraid, no," he said darkly. "But I'll possibly die laughing."

"Hold on, both of you," said Mr. Fox firmly. "Rabbit, you're right; Fang is a sewer rat. But we can't be sure of anything. He has been seen roaming around outside. He might as well enter one of our tunnels. He might have done so in this very moment. And we won't arrive anywhere if we don't stop cussing among ourselves. It's the same as with the farmers: We have one enemy in common. And we will defeat him together."

"The farmers weren't _his _enemies," Rabbit insisted.

"Stop asking for trouble," Mr. Fox warned him. "It's different this time. You better accept that Rat is going to be with us. And it will be useful. Because he has lived a time in the same … in the same sewerage as Fang. He knows him better than we do. Now please, Rat, do tell us every little detail you've observed about this creature, and everybody listen and think of what we can do."

Rat cleared his throat. "First of all, I want to thank everybody for this warm and heartly welcome," he said sarcastically. "Now, as for Fang …"

While he spoke, the other animals listened. Rat had kept his ominous way of talking, as if every sentence he said was a dark prophecy, and even Rabbit couldn't help to be captured by his voice and his words. While Rat was talking, it seemed to the others as if the large, dark shadow of Fang emerged in front of them; as if he was watching every single one of them with his yellow eyes and snapping after every single one, baring his long, sharp and yellow teeth. They saw him move, in a rather clumsy way, but displaying a horrible strength; they saw the foam in his mouth, and smelt the garbage and sewerage aromas of his dark shaggy fur, and when Rat finally stopped, more than one animal rubbed his eyes and looked relieved to find that Fang wasn't really there, that he had only emerged in the own mind.

"So he might be rabid, and he eats almost everything, and he's highly aggressive," summarized Badger.

"I'm afraid that's how things are. Now, what can we do about that?"

"We can't get close to him," said Weasel. "He's bigger and stronger than anyone of us, and if he's rabid, we can't risk being bitten."

"True," said Mr. Fox. "We can't fight him that way, then. Any ideas what else we could do?"

The hall fell silent again.

Rat leant back in his chair, and grinned. "Nice screenplay," he said. "Now, since you call yourself fantastic, I could swear that you're about to show up with one of your fantastic ideas that will leave everbody bewildered and excited. Go ahead, Fox."

"Oh, please," said Mr. Fox. "Do I hear some sarcasm there? All I have figured out so far is this: We can't fight him from close, so we must do it from the distance. But we can't fight him from the distance, because we don't have arms that would do, and I believe that blueberries would be useless in this case. So what we need is a trap. A mighty trap."

"Such as?" asked Rabbit.

"I have not the slightest idea," Mr. Fox admitted.

"We could dig a big hole, so he falls in and dies of hunger," Badger suggested.

"We might," Mr. Fox agreed. "But we can't be sure that he'll just digs himself out. It's too risky."

"We could try to get some raticide from Bean's farm," Rabbit said, blinking like casually at Rat.

"Not bad. But will he possibly eat it?" Mr. Fox asked.

"_I _certainly wouldn't," Rat grumbled.

"Although it might be worth a try," Mr. Fox went on, thoughtfully. "Nevertheless, it's quite dangerous; we have to make sure that none of us gets poisoned accidentally. And we'll have to wait, of course, until Fang bumps into this tramp. It's actually very similar to the blueberry thing."

"Well, we might find out what this creature likes to eat," Rabbit said. "I guess _you _might have an idea?"

"Who knows?" Rat answered. "He ate garbage when there was garbage."

"And what kind of food would _you _go crazy for?" Rabbit insisted. "Should be similar, shouldn't it? I remember you were cider-obsessed, weren't you?"

"Rabbit, this kind of discussion won't take us anywhere, so just stop it," Mr. Fox said.

"I can handle this discussion very well on my own," Rat answered sharply.

"I don't want you to handle but to stop it," Mr. Fox replied.

"And I just asked him a question," Rabbit defended himself. "And again, why should we actually trust him? He's a traitor. He might even be with that enormous rat. After all …"

"I said, stop it," Mr. Fox interrupted, and bared his teeth. "This is not the question right now. I'll sum up: We must try to get raticide from Bean's, and make Fang eat it. So first of all, we need a group of volunteers who go out to get it."

"I'll come," Rabbit said. "It was my idea."

"Wonderful." Mr. Fox looked around. "Who else? Badger, I guess we might need you. I'll be coming, too. Rat, you know Bean's farm better than anybody else."

"I only know the cider cellar," Rat said, crossing his arms.

"Exactly. And where do you think they'll have put raticide? Just where there were rats."

"Darling, sorry to interrupt you, but this plan doesn't make sense to me," Felicity Fox said. "Why should Bean actually have raticide? Rat was working for him."

"That's true, but he disappeared, and I don't think that Bean's figured out what happened. And then, I remember Mrs. Bean was always more than willing to put raticide. I'm actually quite sure that we'll find what we're looking for."

Felicity sighed. "Be careful, then."

"Don't worry," Mr. Fox answered, tenderly looking at her.

They fell silent for a moment.

"And what about me?" Kylie asked. "Am I coming to?"

"Kylie, you're in charge of coordination here," Mr. Fox said. "Make sure everybody gets back to their living holes, and that all family members get informed about the plan. Nobody will eat something lying around in a tunnel."

"Nobody," Kylie repeated. "I understand."

"So we're on," Mr. Fox said. "And, Kylie, be so kind to bring along our bandit masks."

"Of course!"

Kylie was about to rush away, when they heard the sound, and the opossum stopped like petrified.

"What's that?" Ash whispered.

What they heard were slow, heavy steps.

Rat had crossed his arms behind his head, just as if he was making himself comfortable.

"That's the guy we've been talkin' about," he said slowly. "As for my share, I'd say: Everybody run."


	6. Chapter 6: Fighting Fang

The animals were about to panic, but Mr. Fox jumped on the table.

"Silent!" he screamed. "He's coming from there, so we can't use this tunnel! Kylie, you lead everybody into the other tunnel, way to the supermarket! Twenty minutes more and it'll be closed, so if Fang follows you there, you can hide easily! Badger, Rabbit, and Rat: you come with me. We'll face that creature."

"Makin' up another fantastic idea?" Rat said. "There'll be no time for your raticide."

"Can you see that?" Rabbit cried. "I tell you he's with that lab rat!"

"Rabbit, _please_," Mr. Fox said. "We need another plan."

"Can we come with you, Dad?" Ash asked. "Please!"

"Definitely not! Go with your mother. And you too, Kristofferson. You'll have to protect her if things turn out … not in the planned way."

"You believe that could happen?" Ash asked, his eyes growing big.

Mr. Fox gently touched his shoulders. "We can't be sure of anything, son. Only of one thing: there's a little brother or sister of yours and I want you to protect it, whatever it takes. Did you get that?"

Ash hesitated, but then nodded. "I promise."

Mr. Fox turned back to the others.

"Back to our plan … We'll have no time to get the raticide to Fang, so what we'll do is very easy: we'll get Fang to the raticide."

"That means what?" Badger asked, raising his eyebrows.

"That means we're digging a new tunnel, parallel to the old one, and going directly to Bean's cider cellar. Rabbit, you're the fastest of all of us. I need you to do something really dangerous but highly important. Can you do it?"

"Whatever it may be," Rabbit said proudly.

"I need you to take Fang to Bean's cider cellar. We'll go ahead, and wait for you there. Just distract him, and make sure he doesn't go after the others, and then come after us as fast as possible."

"I see!" Rabbit said, and darted off towards the sound of steps that were approaching their hall.

"You need to dig it big," Rat said.

"That's what we will do. Here we go."

Rat stayed behind while Badger and Mr. Fox started digging.

"You're crazy," he said. "This won't possibly work. You're only two."

"We're three, actually." Mr. Fox stared at him.

"I'm a rat. I don't dig."

"It's never too late for a first time," Badger answered laconically.

"I heard say someone you're a demolition expert," Rat pointed out.

Badger suddenly stopped.

"Yes, I am. But why do you mention it?"

"Don't have anything with you?"

"We won't be able to kill Fang like that!" Mr. Fox warned.

"What I've got here is far too small for such an explosion," Badger agreed, taking out some minor bars of dynamite.

Rat grinned, his red eyes flickering.

"I'm not yet talkin' about killin' Fang. But if you put your funny dynamite _here, _and off it goes, we'll break through to the old tunnel, and that'd be much faster."

The other two stared at him.

"You're right about the position," Mr. Fox said slowly. "But the tunnel has been flooded, and we don't know in what state it is."

"Well, I guess we're about to find out," Rat replied. "I believe it'll be passable, although a little bit dangerous, but that's exactly what you're lookin' for, isn't it?"

In this moment, Rabbit burst into the hall, zig zagging in panic, and behind him, there came Fang, slowly but menacing.

"Oh my God!" Badger whispered. Mr. Fox gasped.

Fang was impressive. His facial traits still reminded those of a rat, but his big yellow eyes were much bigger, his teeth were longer, and he actually was much bigger and heavilier built than a normal rat. His way of moving reminded Mr. Fox more of what he had heard about bears.

Rat seemed to be the only one who wasn't at all impressed by Fang's appearance. He leant to the wall and said, "Well, he's gettin' closer, I see you appreciate that. What's the plan?"

"Badger, take out the dynamite, and place it right over there," Mr. Fox said without taking his eyes off Fang, who tried to catch Rabbit, running around the enormous lab rat in circles.

"Done," Badger said. "Now get away. Ten … nine …"

The three animals darted away and crouched behind the big table. It would be at least a little protection against the explosion yet to come, but on the other hand, it exposed them to Fang's yellow eyes. For a moment, the big creature stopped, and seemed to forget about Rabbit, and firmly looked at them.

"_You_," it grumbled.

"Seven … six …"

"He's talking to you," Mr. Fox said calmly to Rat.

"Five … four … three …"

"He might mean you," Rat replied.

"Two … one … zero …"

The explosion twirled around the chairs and even the table, but Badger, Mr. Fox and Rat, clinging to the ground, weren't hurt. One of the chairs hit Fang's nose, and he gave a furious scream.

"The tunnel's open!" Badger said. "Now, _run_!"

They rushed into the old tunnel. Rat sniffed.

"It's smellin' of cider, still," he said, and smiled.

"Don't even think about licking the walls," Mr. Fox warned him. "We've got no time to loose."

Actually, the tunnel was in a much better state than they had thought. Only the small part connecting it to the hall had been buried with the flooding, just as Rad had imagined; the way was muddy, and some of the walls had come down, but it was definitely passable, even for somebody like Fang who was to come after them very soon.

"Here we are!" Mr. Fox exclaimed, as they got to the wooden door that would lead them into Bean's cider cellar. He carefully pushed it open, and they got in.

For a moment, they all stopped. Badger and Mr. Fox looked carefully around, discovering that they were alone; nobody was in sight.

Rat also looked around, but he was rather concentrating on the cider jars that stood in endless rows in the heavy wooden cupboards.

"Here we are, then," he murmured, and breathed deeply.

Mr. Fox nudged him. "Don't go sentimental now, Rat. There's no time for that."

"I wasn't goin' sentimental," Rat said with a shaking voice.

"Of course not."

"And now?" Badger asked. "Where's the raticide?"

"Spread and search," Mr. Fox commanded. "Where do you think Mrs. Bean would put it, Rat?"

"I was always sittin' round there," Rat said, doubtfully. "But I don't think she'd know …"

They spread in different directions, loosing themselves in the darkness of Bean's gigantic cider cellar. When they met again, almost out of breath, they could already hear Fang's step coming closer.

"There is none!" Badger exclaimed.

Mr. Fox shook his head.

"Definitely not," Rat reinforced.

"And _now_?" Badger asked, turning around, because Fang was to show up every moment.

One more time, Rat slid his look over the rows of cider jars.

"Fox," he said slowly. "I know you're good at _diggin'_, aren't you?"

"I certainly am, and …?"

Rat looked at him. "How about climbin'?"


	7. Chapter 7: The Power of Cider

**8. ****Fortifix **

"It's much too early!" Mr. Fox exclaimed, and darted off towards his living hole.

"Poor Felicity!" Badger said, helping Kylie to his feet. "Are you alright, Kylie? We should get Dr. Beaver."

"I'll go for him," Rabbit said, rushing away. Badger and Kylie followed Mr. Fox towards his hole. Rat stayed where he was, thoughtfully.

It had felt good to defeat Fang, of course, because he knew that he was getting rid of an enemy who had made his life difficult for months. He felt kind of relieved, but nevertheless, he was not sure where to go now.

And there was something else. It had even felt good to work with Mr. Fox and his friends, even if he had said, and believed it, that he was no good team worker. But it was a strange kind of enthusiasm when they had worked out their ideas together, and when his had been accepted by the others. He remembered the sound of appreciation in Badger's voice, and felt puzzled. For a short time, Rat had got an impression of how it felt to be part of a team, and had a slight idea of what it might be like to have friends. Something he had forgotten long ago.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fox sat on Felicity's bed, while she was squirming in pain.

"Be strong, darling," he murmured. "Everything's going to be fine. I'm with you. Be quiet. We're safe."

Dr. Beaver bumped in, looked at Felicity, and approached her without loosing a word.

Ash and Kristofferson stood at the door, feeling helpless.

"Is giving birth always like this?" Ash whispered.

"I guess it is," Kristofferson answered, trying to calm his cousin. "It's hard, you know. But Aunt Felicity knows that already. She gave birth to you."

"I never knew I caused so much pain," Ash muttered.

Then, the whole room fell silent. Dr. Beaver was bending over Felicity. The boys closed their eyes. So did Mr. Fox.

And suddenly, a cry, weak but clear, was heard.

"Here we go!" Dr. Beaver said, satisfied. "Congratulations! It's a girl."

"Oh my God," Mr. Fox murmured, while Dr. Beaver handled him over the small bundle he was holding in his arms. Mr. Fox looked into a pair of large green eyes, and had to fight the tears.

"Look at her, Felicity. How beautiful she is …"

Mrs. Fox reached out for the little furry bundle, and sat up with difficulty to hold her daughter.

"Here you are, my dear," she whispered, exhausted. "Ash, come here, look at your little sister."

"Thank you so much, doctor," Mr. Fox said.

Dr. Beaver looked at him.

"May I speak to you for a moment?" he said drily.

Mr. Fox frowned. "Of course. Let's go to the kitchen."

They left the sleepingroom, where Mrs. Rabbit and Mrs. Badger had arrived and took care of Felicity.

"You look worried," said Mr. Fox in the kitchen.

"I _am _worried," Dr. Beaver confirmed. "You know that this birth came too early. The baby looks weak. And your wife is exhausted. I'm afraid that things are going to be difficult."

"What do you mean – _be difficult_?" Mr. Fox sounded alarmed.

Dr. Beaver hesitated. "Mr. Fox, let me be honest. I know your wife and think she will recover soon. But this girl was born so early … I don't know whether there is much hope for her."

"Foxes are strong, we always were," Mr. Fox said, but his voice was shaking. "There must be something we can do, can't we?"

Dr. Beaver shrugged.

"We'd have to get special medicine for her. It's a kind of fortification that we could give her with the milk, and it would increase chances … her chances."

Mr. Fox sighed, relieved. "So that is easy. Just give her this medicine …"

"That's the problem. I don't dispose of this medicine. I just read of it. You know, humans give this to their babies when they are born too early, and some animals in the city have found ways to get the medicine, too. But down here, in the countryside … I have no idea of how to get the medicine."

"What's its name?" Mr. Fox asked.

"Among animals, it's called _Fortifix, _but humans might know it with another name," Dr. Beaver said. "However, that was the name used in the article I read, and that was written by one of our squirrel correspondents in the city. Anyway …"

"Then I should probably go to the city, and get that _Fortifix _as soon as I can," Mr. Fox concluded.

"Be careful, Foxy," Badger warned him. He, Kylie and Rabbit were sitting in the kitchen, and had listened to everything. "You're not an urban animal."

"Foxes can survive anywhere," Mr. Fox replied.

"If they are accostumed to their environment. But you've always lived here, you only know farms and the village."

"I can handle a motorcycle," Mr. Fox pointed out.

Badger sighed.

"What do you want, Badger?" Mr. Fox asked. "It's about my daughter's life. Do you really think I should hesitate any longer?"

"Foxy, if I was you, I would probably be ready to do the same," Badger said, calmly. "But don't go without preparation. The city, as far as I know, is a dangerous place, especially for animals like us. You can get lost. We need to have another reunion of all animals, and join all the knowledge that we have about the city, and then …"

"But it'll take far too much time!" Mr. Fox cried out. "I'm leaving _right now. _And I'm going to come back as soon as possible with that medicine. My daughter is going to survive."

His friends looked at him.

"I'll come with you," said Kylie.

"It'll be dangerous, Kylie, more dangerous than anything we have gone through up to now."

Kylie hesitated, shivered a little bit, then shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. I'll come with you. Where is the city?"

Mr. Fox fell silent.

"Foxy, you don't even _know_," Badger said. "At least ask somebody. I mean …" He interrupted himself and shrugged helplessly.

"Ask who?" Mr. Fox snapped. "No-one of us has ever been to the city. All we know is that it is a place you can not imagine. It is loud, dirty, and extremely fascinating …"

He stopped. "I _have _heard these words before," he said thoughtfully, and then hit his forehead. "Of course. Rat was talking about it."

"See?" Badger said. "I was suspecting that. There might be a way through the sewerage to the city, and I guess Rat knows it. And he may also know the city. Rats usually adapt easily to urban life …"

"I can _see _what you're thinking," said Mr. Fox sharply. "But, no. I'm not going to ask Rat for help twice a day. I just can't do that."

Badger opened his mouth to reply something, but was interrupted by a dark voice.

"No need of _askin' _me for help. What if I just _offer _it to you, Fox?"

They all turned around. Rat was leaning to the entrance door. Nobody knew since when he was standing there. Mr. Fox gulped, feeling slightly ashamed.

"Why would you do that?" he asked distrustfully.

Rat watched him.

"Nothin' else to do, right now," he said. "And, in fact, I do know that city. I even have an idea where to get your medicine. As for my share, we can leave immediately."

He noticed Mr. Fox' distrusting glance.

"You trusted me once before, and it was even today," he added drily.

"Yes," Mr. Fox admitted. "But by then we had an enemy in common, and helping us was in your interest, too."

"However, you trusted me, and it was for good," Rat insisted. "Well, I'm not goin' to beg you, either. That is my offer. I'll guide you to, through, and back from the city, if you want me to. If you don't …" He shrugged.

Mr. Fox looked at him, at Kylie and his friends, and then turned back to the sleeping room. Felicity had fallen asleep, and so had the little fox girl at her chest. Mr. Fox looked at them, breathing in deeply and fighting tears once again.

Then he turned back.

"Alright then," he said. "Kylie – Rat – let's go."


	8. Chapter 8: Fortifix

**8. Fortifix **

"It's much too early!" Mr. Fox exclaimed, and darted off towards his living hole.

"Poor Felicity!" Badger said, helping Kylie to his feet. "Are you alright, Kylie? We should get Dr. Beaver."

"I'll go for him," Rabbit said, rushing away. Badger and Kylie followed Mr. Fox towards his hole. Rat stayed where he was, thoughtfully.

It had felt good to defeat Fang, of course, because he knew that he was getting rid of an enemy who had made his life difficult for months. He felt kind of relieved, but nevertheless, he was not sure where to go now.

And there was something else. It had even felt good to work with Mr. Fox and his friends, even if he had said, and believed it, that he was no good team worker. But it was a strange kind of enthusiasm when they had worked out their ideas together, and when his had been accepted by the others. He remembered the sound of appreciation in Badger's voice, and felt puzzled. For a short time, Rat had got an impression of how it felt to be part of a team, and had a slight idea of what it might be like to have friends. Something he had forgotten long ago.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fox sat on Felicity's bed, while she was squirming in pain.

"Be strong, darling," he murmured. "Everything's going to be fine. I'm with you. Be quiet. We're safe."

Dr. Beaver bumped in, looked at Felicity, and approached her without loosing a word.

Ash and Kristofferson stood at the door, feeling helpless.

"Is giving birth always like this?" Ash whispered.

"I guess it is," Kristofferson answered, trying to calm his cousin. "It's hard, you know. But Aunt Felicity knows that already. She gave birth to you."

"I never knew I caused so much pain," Ash muttered.

Then, the whole room fell silent. Dr. Beaver was bending over Felicity. The boys closed their eyes. So did Mr. Fox.

And suddenly, a cry, weak but clear, was heard.

"Here we go!" Dr. Beaver said, satisfied. "Congratulations! It's a girl."

"Oh my God," Mr. Fox murmured, while Dr. Beaver handled him over the small bundle he was holding in his arms. Mr. Fox looked into a pair of large green eyes, and had to fight the tears.

"Look at her, Felicity. How beautiful she is …"

Mrs. Fox reached out for the little furry bundle, and sat up with difficulty to hold her daughter.

"Here you are, my dear," she whispered, exhausted. "Ash, come here, look at your little sister."

"Thank you so much, doctor," Mr. Fox said.

Dr. Beaver looked at him.

"May I speak to you for a moment?" he said drily.

Mr. Fox frowned. "Of course. Let's go to the kitchen."

They left the sleepingroom, where Mrs. Rabbit and Mrs. Badger had arrived and took care of Felicity.

"You look worried," said Mr. Fox in the kitchen.

"I _am _worried," Dr. Beaver confirmed. "You know that this birth came too early. The baby looks weak. And your wife is exhausted. I'm afraid that things are going to be difficult."

"What do you mean – _be difficult_?" Mr. Fox sounded alarmed.

Dr. Beaver hesitated. "Mr. Fox, let me be honest. I know your wife and think she will recover soon. But this girl was born so early … I don't know whether there is much hope for her."

"Foxes are strong, we always were," Mr. Fox said, but his voice was shaking. "There must be something we can do, can't we?"

Dr. Beaver shrugged.

"We'd have to get special medicine for her. It's a kind of fortification that we could give her with the milk, and it would increase chances … her chances."

Mr. Fox sighed, relieved. "So that is easy. Just give her this medicine …"

"That's the problem. I don't dispose of this medicine. I just read of it. You know, humans give this to their babies when they are born too early, and some animals in the city have found ways to get the medicine, too. But down here, in the countryside … I have no idea of how to get the medicine."

"What's its name?" Mr. Fox asked.

"Among animals, it's called _Fortifix, _but humans might know it with another name," Dr. Beaver said. "However, that was the name used in the article I read, and that was written by one of our squirrel correspondents in the city. Anyway …"

"Then I should probably go to the city, and get that _Fortifix _as soon as I can," Mr. Fox concluded.

"Be careful, Foxy," Badger warned him. He, Kylie and Rabbit were sitting in the kitchen, and had listened to everything. "You're not an urban animal."

"Foxes can survive anywhere," Mr. Fox replied.

"If they are accostumed to their environment. But you've always lived here, you only know farms and the village."

"I can handle a motorcycle," Mr. Fox pointed out.

Badger sighed.

"What do you want, Badger?" Mr. Fox asked. "It's about my daughter's life. Do you really think I should hesitate any longer?"

"Foxy, if I was you, I would probably be ready to do the same," Badger said, calmly. "But don't go without preparation. The city, as far as I know, is a dangerous place, especially for animals like us. You can get lost. We need to have another reunion of all animals, and join all the knowledge that we have about the city, and then …"

"But it'll take far too much time!" Mr. Fox cried out. "I'm leaving _right now. _And I'm going to come back as soon as possible with that medicine. My daughter is going to survive."

His friends looked at him.

"I'll come with you," said Kylie.

"It'll be dangerous, Kylie, more dangerous than anything we have gone through up to now."

Kylie hesitated, shivered a little bit, then shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. I'll come with you. Where is the city?"

Mr. Fox fell silent.

"Foxy, you don't even _know_," Badger said. "At least ask somebody. I mean …" He interrupted himself and shrugged helplessly.

"Ask who?" Mr. Fox snapped. "No-one of us has ever been to the city. All we know is that it is a place you can not imagine. It is loud, dirty, and extremely fascinating …"

He stopped. "I _have _heard these words before," he said thoughtfully, and then hit his forehead. "Of course. Rat was talking about it."

"See?" Badger said. "I was suspecting that. There might be a way through the sewerage to the city, and I guess Rat knows it. And he may also know the city. Rats usually adapt easily to urban life …"

"I can _see _what you're thinking," said Mr. Fox sharply. "But, no. I'm not going to ask Rat for help twice a day. I just can't do that."

Badger opened his mouth to reply something, but was interrupted by a dark voice.

"No need of _askin' _me for help. What if I just _offer _it to you, Fox?"

They all turned around. Rat was leaning to the entrance door. Nobody knew since when he was standing there. Mr. Fox gulped, feeling slightly ashamed.

"Why would you do that?" he asked distrustfully.

Rat watched him.

"Nothin' else to do, right now," he said. "And, in fact, I do know that city. I even have an idea where to get your medicine. As for my share, we can leave immediately."

He noticed Mr. Fox' distrusting glance.

"You trusted me once before, and it was even today," he added drily.

"Yes," Mr. Fox admitted. "But by then we had an enemy in common, and helping us was in your interest, too."

"However, you trusted me, and it was for good," Rat insisted. "Well, I'm not goin' to beg you, either. That is my offer. I'll guide you to, through, and back from the city, if you want me to. If you don't …" He shrugged.

Mr. Fox looked at him, at Kylie and his friends, and then turned back to the sleeping room. Felicity had fallen asleep, and so had the little fox girl at her chest. Mr. Fox looked at them, breathing in deeply and fighting tears once again.

Then he turned back.

"Alright then," he said. "Kylie – Rat – let's go."


End file.
